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2023 ABL Invitational
| 2023 ABL Invitational |
|---|
| ASEAN Basketball League |
| Basketball |
| 2 January – 15 March 2023 |
| 8 |
| Saigon Heat |
| Hong Kong Eastern |
| Saigon Heat |
| Tonny Trocha-Morelos |
The 2023 ABL Invitational was an invitational tournament held by the ASEAN Basketball League. The elimination round tipped off on 2 January in Singapore, before moving to 3 other host countries. The tournament ended with the finals played from 3 to 15 March. The 2023 Invitational featured eight teams from the region.
Intended to signify the return of the ABL, it ended up being the last tournament the league held before FIBA dropped support for the league, leaving its future uncertain.
| Team | Head coach |
|---|---|
| Bangkok Tigers | Jakkraphan Chupthaisong |
| Hong Kong Eastern | Željko Pavličević |
| Louvre Surabaya | Jomar Tierra |
| Macau Black Bears | Charles Dubé-Brais |
| NS Matrix Deers | Jeff Viernes |
| Saigon Heat | Matthew Van Pelt |
| Singapore Slingers | Neo Beng Siang |
| Zamboanga Valientes | Expedito De Los Santos |
All teams can register a maximum of 3 foreigners and 1 heritage player. The salary cap for the foreign players is set at US$ 20,000 per month.
| Team | Import 1 | Import 2 | Import 3 | Heritage player | Former imports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangkok Tigers | William Vedder Freeman | Augustus Stone | Jose Nouchanthavong | Arizona Reid Jermale Jones Lloyd Burgess Alexander Osmand Smith | |
| Hong Kong Eastern | O'Darien Bassett | Chris McLaughlin | Tonny Trocha-Morelos | Dominic Gilbert | |
| Louvre Surabaya | Marcus Hammonds | Alioune Tew | Jamarr Johnson | Ebrahim Enguio Lopez | Sameen Swint |
| Macau Black Bears | Isaiah Wade | D'Angelo Hamilton | Dequan Abrom | Winston Shepard | |
| NS Matrix Deers | Amir Williams | Tevin Glass | Isaiah Williams | Wong Zhong Han | Henry Iloka |
| Saigon Heat | Jeremy Combs | Evan Gilyard | Jairus Holder | Hassan Thomas | |
| Singapore Slingers | Xavier Alexander | CJ Gettys | Kentrell Barkley | ||
| Zamboanga Valientes | Mohamed Sesay | Mario Chalmers | Renaldo Balkman | Jeremy Arthur | Will Deng Ryan Smith Antonio Hester |
The invitational tournament had a new format compared to previous seasons. There will be four rolling tournaments before the lead up to best-of-three semi-finals and finals. At the end of the four tournaments, each team would have played one another twice, and a total of 14 matches. The top four teams would advance to the semi-finals. The second leg will be in Batam, Indonesia, third leg in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and the fourth leg in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The semi final and final will be held also in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
| Leg | Venue | Date | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kallang, Singapore | OCBC Arena | 3,000 | 2–8 January |
| 2 | Batam, Indonesia | Hi-Test Arena | 1,200 | 12–18 January |
| 3 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | MABA Stadium | 2,500 | 3–8 February |
| 4 | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam | Nguyễn Du Indoor Stadium | 2,100 | 12–17 February |
| Playoffs and final | 6–14 March |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 | 11 | 3 | 1225 | 1024 | +201 | 25 | Advances to playoffs | |
| 2 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 1131 | 953 | +178 | 24 | ||
| 3 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 1215 | 1061 | +154 | 24 | ||
| 4 | 14 | 9 | 5 | 1320 | 1129 | +191 | 23 | ||
| 5 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 1139 | 1078 | +61 | 21 | ||
| 6 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 1183 | 1172 | +11 | 21 | ||
| 7 | 14 | 1 | 13 | 990 | 1449 | −459 | 15 | ||
| 8 | 14 | 1 | 13 | 1077 | 1414 | −337 | 15 |
The semi-final is a best-of-three series with game 3 being played if necessary.
The final is a best-of-three series with game 3 being played if necessary.
| 2023 ABL Champions |
|---|
| Hong Kong Eastern (2nd title) |
| Finals MVP |
|---|
| Tonny Trocha-Morelos |
The winners were announced after Game 3 of the 2023 ABL Finals at the Nguyễn Du Indoor Stadium, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
- Defensive Player of the Year: Chris McLaughlin (Hong Kong Eastern)
- Coach of the Year: Željko Pavličević (Hong Kong Eastern)
| Category | Player | Club | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points | Kentrell Barkley | Singapore Slingers | 26.00 |
| Rebounds | Alioune Tew | Louvre Surabaya | 19.00 |
| Assists | Xavier Alexander | Singapore Slingers | 6.60 |
| Steals | Mario Chalmers | Zamboanga Valientes | 2.40 |
| Blocks | Amir Williams | NS Matrix Deers | 1.90 |
- Official website
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